Fire Type Starters: Which One Has the Easiest Start

Fire type starters look good, and the ranking changes a lot once you ask how the first few hours go. Whichever one you pick is likely your main for the whole game. So the useful question is what it meets before its first three Gyms are done: the rival's starter, then three leaders whose types either help it or hurt it.

There are nine Fire starters, one from each generation. All of them end up strong, with final forms between 528 and 534 base stats. What sets them apart is the opening. Some walk through their first Gyms and some get sent back to the Pokemon Center with their tail between their legs. (Fire does have a reputation for burning bridges.)

What you're up against early

A Gym entrance in Pokemon Sword and Shield

Every game puts the same shape of test in front of you: a rival with a starter at level 5 or so, then a Gym line-up that you can't change. A few of those Gyms are very friendly to Fire and a few are the worst case.

Starter	Game	First three fights
Fuecoco	Scarlet and Violet	Katy (Bug), Brassius (Grass), Iono (Electric)
Scorbunny	Sword and Shield	Milo (Grass), Nessa (Water), Kabu (Fire)
Tepig	Black and White	Cress (Water), Lenora (Normal), Burgh (Bug)
Cyndaquil	Gold and Silver	Falkner (Flying), Bugsy (Bug), Whitney (Normal)
Fennekin	X and Y	Viola (Bug), Grant (Rock), Korrina (Fighting)
Chimchar	Diamond and Pearl	Roark (Rock), Gardenia (Grass), Maylene (Fighting)
Litten	Sun and Moon	Ilima (Normal), Hala (Fighting)
Torchic	Ruby and Sapphire	Roxanne (Rock), Brawly (Fighting), Wattson (Electric)
Charmander	Red and Blue	Brock (Rock), Misty (Water), Lt. Surge (Electric)

Alola has trials instead of Gyms, which is why Litten only has two entries.

Fuecoco, if you want it easy

Fuecoco starts out knowing Ember, and Paldea's opening Gyms give it plenty to use it on. Katy's Nymble and Tarountula are both Bug types at level 14, and Fire hits Bug for double. Brassius comes next with Petilil and Smoliv at level 16, both Grass, and Fire hits Grass for double as well. His Sudowoodo at level 17 is the only real worry, since Rock hits Fire for double and Fire does half damage to Rock. Incinerate, a stronger Fire move, arrives at level 15.

Iono is an even fight in both directions. Electric does normal damage to Fire, and so does her Mismagius, a Ghost type. Crocalor arrives at level 16 and Skeledirge at level 36, a Fire and Ghost type with 110 Special Attack and 530 base stats.

Scorbunny, strong until the sea

Scorbunny gets Ember at level 6, and that does most of the work against Hop, whose starter is Grookey, and against Milo. Gossifleur at level 19 and Eldegoss at level 20 go down quickly, since Fire hits Grass for double. Then Nessa. Her Water team does double damage to Fire and takes only half from it, which makes her the wall. Drednaw at level 24 is Water and Rock, and Scorbunny's Double Kick, a Fighting move it learns at level 12, hits the Rock half for double.

Kabu uses a Fire team. Ninetales and Arcanine at level 25 take half damage from Scorbunny's Fire attacks. Centiskorch at level 27 is a Fire and Bug type, and the Bug half cancels the resist. Raboot arrives at level 16 and Cinderace at level 35, a Fire type with 119 Speed and 530 base stats.

Tepig, if you can get through Cress

Cheren's Oshawott beats Tepig on type, and Cress, the Striaton City leader Tepig gets, uses Panpour at level 14. Water does double damage to Fire, which makes the first Gym a hard start. It gets easier. Lenora's Herdier and Watchog, at levels 18 and 20, are Normal types, which is an even fight for Fire.

Burgh at the end of the stretch is where Tepig earns its place. Ember arrives at level 7 and Flame Charge at level 15. Fire hits Whirlipede at level 21 for double, since it's Bug and Poison. Leavanny at level 23 is Bug and Grass and takes four times the damage. Dwebble is Bug and Rock, and those two cancel out. Pignite arrives at level 17 and Emboar at level 36, a Fire and Fighting type with 123 Attack and 528 base stats.

Cyndaquil, with Bugsy as the highlight

Johto's first Gym is Falkner, whose Pidgey at level 7 and Pidgeotto at level 9 are Normal and Flying types. Fire is an even fight there. Ember doesn't arrive until level 12, but Bugsy is worth waiting for. Metapod and Kakuna at level 14 and Scyther at level 16 are all part Bug, and Fire hits Bug for double. Whitney's Clefairy at level 18 and Miltank at level 20 are Normal types, which is another even fight.

The problem is the rival. Silver's Totodile is the one you meet, and Water does double damage to Fire. Cyndaquil becomes Quilava at level 14 and Typhlosion at level 36, a Fire type with 109 Special Attack and 534 base stats.

Fennekin, until Grant

Fennekin gets Ember at level 5 and goes into Viola's Gym with a small edge. Vivillon at level 12 is Bug and Flying and takes double from Fire, while Surskit at level 10 is Bug and Water and ends up even. Then Grant. Amaura and Tyrunt, both level 25, are Rock types, and Rock hits Fire for double. Fire does half damage to Rock. Amaura's Ice half only cancels that out, and Tyrunt's Dragon half makes it worse. This is the loss.

Korrina is where Fennekin comes back. Psybeam, a Psychic move at level 17, hits Fighting types for double, which covers Mienfoo, Machoke and Hawlucha. Braixen arrives at level 16 and Delphox at level 36, a Fire and Psychic type with 114 Special Attack and 534 base stats.

Chimchar, not at Roark's door

Barry's Piplup is the rival fight Chimchar gets, and Water does double damage to Fire. Roark is the other problem. Geodude and Onix at level 12 are Rock and Ground, and Cranidos at level 14 is Rock. Fire does half damage to all of them and Rock hits Fire for double. Ember comes at level 7, and the answer is mostly levels.

Gardenia is the best fight Sinnoh offers it. Cherubi and Turtwig at level 19 and Roserade at level 22 are all Grass, and Fire hits Grass for double. Flame Wheel at level 17 helps with that too. Monferno arrives at level 14 and Infernape at level 36, a Fire and Fighting type with 108 Speed and 534 base stats.

Litten, with nothing to fight

Litten's early trials are mild. Ilima's Yungoos at level 9 and Smeargle at level 10 are Normal types, and Fire against Normal is an even fight. Hala's Mankey, Makuhita and Crabrawler, at levels 14 and 15, are Fighting types, which is another even fight for Fire. Lick, a Ghost move Litten learns at level 8, does nothing to Normal types. Fire Fang at level 15 is the move to use.

Nothing in the first stretch is a problem and nothing is a gift. Torracat arrives at level 17 and Incineroar at level 34, a Fire and Dark type with 115 Attack and 530 base stats.

Torchic, if you can stand Roxanne

Roxanne is the hard part. Geodude at level 14 and Nosepass at level 15 are Rock types, Fire does half damage to Rock and Rock hits Fire for double. Plan on a few extra levels before walking in, since Ember only arrives at level 10.

After her it turns around. Peck arrives at level 16, the same level Torchic becomes Combusken, and Flying hits Fighting for double, which is why Brawly's Machop at level 17 and Makuhita at level 18 go better. Wattson's Magnemite and Magneton are Electric and Steel, and Fire hits Steel for double. Blaziken arrives at level 36, a Fire and Fighting type with 120 Attack and 530 base stats.

Charmander, hit hardest by Brock

Charmander has the toughest opening of the nine. Blue's Squirtle is the rival fight it gets, and Water does double damage to Fire. Brock's Geodude at level 12 and Onix at level 14 are Rock and Ground. Rock hits Fire for double and Fire does half damage to Rock, and Ember at level 9 is no help against them.

Misty is just as bad. Staryu at level 18 and Starmie at level 21 are Water, and Water does double damage to Fire. Lt. Surge is the only even fight, because Electric does normal damage to Fire. Charmander becomes Charmeleon at level 16 and Charizard at level 36, a Fire and Flying type with 109 Special Attack and 534 base stats. (It makes up for it later.)

So which one should you pick?

A trainer walking with a Piplup in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

Rank	Starter	Game	Final form	Base stats
1	Fuecoco	Scarlet and Violet	Skeledirge	530
2	Scorbunny	Sword and Shield	Cinderace	530
3	Tepig	Black and White	Emboar	528
4	Cyndaquil	Gold and Silver	Typhlosion	534
5	Fennekin	X and Y	Delphox	534
6	Chimchar	Diamond and Pearl	Infernape	534
7	Litten	Sun and Moon	Incineroar	530
8	Torchic	Ruby and Sapphire	Blaziken	530
9	Charmander	Red and Blue	Charizard	534

Fuecoco has the easiest start and Charmander the hardest. If you want to walk through the first badges, Fuecoco is the pick. If you like a fight, Torchic and Charmander give you one and both reward you later. Every Fire starter ends with 528 or more base stats, which means the one you like the look of is never a wrong call. The full line-ups are on the pages for generation 1, generation 2, generation 3, generation 4, generation 5, generation 6, generation 7, generation 8 and generation 9.